Welcome to Director’s Cut! In this course, you will be designing your own learning plan. Each student will study a director--their life, their work, their style. What is auteur theory and does it apply to your chosen director? What are some of the key elements of their style? What are some relevant examples of their work?
Here are some directors to choose from:
Quentin Tarantino (OH the GORE - may need parental permission) Martin Scorsese (again) Sofia Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (I’m gonna make you an offer…) Stanley Kubrick Orson Welles (for you classics out there) Tim Burton (fantastical nightmares!) Hayao Miyazaki (Talk to me about this one…) Steven Spielberg (ET PHONE HOME) Kathryn Bigelow Wes Anderson David O’Russel Christopher Nolan David Fincher Werner Herzog Woody Allen Spike Lee Kevin Smith Clint Eastwood
If you have another idea, just let me know!
During this first week of class, this is your challenge: 1) Choose a director - make sure there are no duplicates in the class! 2) Start planning out your course! You have a few options, but much of the work below is required. Plan a schedule that details when you will have work completed. This is a rough plan of the course that you can use:
Week 1 By Friday: Choose a director, three films by that director, and fill in this schedule with work to be completed.
Week 2 (for example: In week one I will complete… by this date.)
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5 PRESENTATIONS BEGIN THIS WEEK (choose your presentation day in advance and ensure your preferred date!)
Week 6 PRESENTATIONS CONTINUE
Required work for each person:
One-two page __scene analysis__ on the scene of your choice from each film studied (3 total) Be sure to speak about the __elements of film__ that contribute to the scene’s success.
Research into the director as an individual (one to two pages with sourced citations)
Summary of two academic journal articles detailing elements of director’s style (I will provide some examples)
Critique of director as an ‘auteur’--to be explained in class
Presentation (no longer than 15 minutes) that summarizes your work for this course in an interesting and engaging way - be sure to schedule your presentation early!
Scene analysis
Choose a scene from a film discussed in class or approved by Ibu Emily. Carefully analyze the scene using the concepts discussed in your text and in class, (e.g. mise-en-scene, editing, composition, framing, shots) Your analysis should be 2-3 pages. You do not need to use any references other than the film (though if you use others, such as your text, be sure to cite them.)
Your scene analysis should include:
- A short summary, including place and time of film’s production. - A main claim/thesis: What was the purpose/effect of this particular scene? - Reference to technical terms discussed in class - Analysis of filmmaker’s tools and their significance to the main claim/thesis, overall story - Critique of scene’s success/failures - Works Cited page
All sources must be cited using MLA format. Ibu Emily will discuss how to cite films in class.
DUE DATE: - September 30th Late assignments will not be accepted!
Elements of Film Mise en scene refers to everything with a specific scene in a film that gives the scene meaning. All scenes in films are meticulously planned to mean certain things. It is useful to analyse how the scene is shot, where the actors are placed, what sounds are in the background, what objects are placed in the scene and the lighting of the whole scene to unpack what meaning the director wants to convey to the audience.
• In groups, watch the following scene and write in the following boxes what you observe. • Discuss how these elements combine to make meaning and affect the narrative.
Position of the actors / Framing
Effect:
Length of Shots
Effect:
Sound
Effect:
Angle of Shots
Effect
Lighting / Colour
Effect
Objects within the scene
Effect
1) How is the audience first introduced to Rick? What effect does this introduction have on our perception of his character?
2) Diegetic sound is the sound that you might logically expect to hear in a film scene, for example, footsteps when someone is walking, dialogue or a gunshot when a gun is fired. Non-diegetic sound is clearly artificially added to a film – the characters can’t hear it. This could include the musical score. Consider the role of music within the film (diegetic and non- diegetic). What effect does this have on our understanding of key scenes?
3) Would you agree with the statement that Casablanca can be read as a work of propaganda? Is the making of fictional films as propaganda ever justified? Be detailed in your response. You might like to consider whether film directors and screenwriters are always, to an extent, trying to persuade the audience to see things in a certain way. What is the difference between a justified ‘message’ and ‘propaganda’?
4) How are different nationalities and ethnic groups represented in the film? Are any groups notably absent? If so, how might their absence be explained?
Here are some directors to choose from:
Quentin Tarantino (OH the GORE - may need parental permission)
Martin Scorsese (again)
Sofia Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (I’m gonna make you an offer…)
Stanley Kubrick
Orson Welles (for you classics out there)
Tim Burton (fantastical nightmares!)
Hayao Miyazaki (Talk to me about this one…)
Steven Spielberg (ET PHONE HOME)
Kathryn Bigelow
Wes Anderson
David O’Russel
Christopher Nolan
David Fincher
Werner Herzog
Woody Allen
Spike Lee
Kevin Smith
Clint Eastwood
If you have another idea, just let me know!
During this first week of class, this is your challenge:
1) Choose a director - make sure there are no duplicates in the class!
2) Start planning out your course! You have a few options, but much of the work below is required. Plan a schedule that details when you will have work completed. This is a rough plan of the course that you can use:
By Friday: Choose a director, three films by that director, and fill in this schedule with work to be completed.
(for example: In week one I will complete… by this date.)
PRESENTATIONS BEGIN THIS WEEK (choose your presentation day in advance and ensure your preferred date!)
PRESENTATIONS CONTINUE
Required work for each person:
Scene analysis
Choose a scene from a film discussed in class or approved by Ibu Emily. Carefully analyze the scene using the concepts discussed in your text and in class, (e.g. mise-en-scene, editing, composition, framing, shots) Your analysis should be 2-3 pages. You do not need to use any references other than the film (though if you use others, such as your text, be sure to cite them.)
Your scene analysis should include:
- A short summary, including place and time of film’s production.
- A main claim/thesis: What was the purpose/effect of this particular scene?
- Reference to technical terms discussed in class
- Analysis of filmmaker’s tools and their significance to
the main claim/thesis, overall story
- Critique of scene’s success/failures
- Works Cited page
All sources must be cited using MLA format. Ibu Emily will discuss how to cite films in class.
__Rubric__
PEER EDITING DATE: September 26th
DUE DATE: - September 30th Late assignments will not be accepted!
Elements of Film
Mise en scene refers to everything with a specific scene in a film that gives the scene meaning. All scenes in films are meticulously planned to mean certain things. It is useful to analyse how the scene is shot, where the actors are placed, what sounds are in the background, what objects are placed in the scene and the lighting of the whole scene to unpack what meaning the director wants to convey to the audience.
• In groups, watch the following scene and write in the following boxes what you observe.
• Discuss how these elements combine to make meaning and affect the narrative.
Effect:
Effect:
Effect:
Effect
Effect
Effect
1) How is the audience first introduced to Rick? What effect does this introduction have on our perception of his character?
2) Diegetic sound is the sound that you might logically expect to hear in a film scene, for example, footsteps when someone is walking, dialogue or a gunshot when a gun is fired. Non-diegetic sound is clearly artificially added to a film – the characters can’t hear it. This could include the musical score. Consider the role of music within the film (diegetic and non- diegetic). What effect does this have on our understanding of key scenes?
3) Would you agree with the statement that Casablanca can be read as a work of propaganda? Is the making of fictional films as propaganda ever justified? Be detailed in your response. You might like to consider whether film directors and screenwriters are always, to an extent, trying to persuade the audience to see things in a certain way. What is the difference between a justified ‘message’ and ‘propaganda’?
4) How are different nationalities and ethnic groups represented in the film? Are any groups notably absent? If so, how might their absence be explained?